In a career spanning over four decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across stage and screen.
She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Costume Design for the film Queen Margot (1994).
Then she moved to Berlin in 1970 and started frequent collaborations with renowned director Peter Stein on his numerous theater and opera productions, a partnership that lasted for 22 years.
[1] Beside her work on various stage designs, Bickel was known for her extensive career in German as well as international film productions.
In particular, she attained a great deal of acclaim and received the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design for Éric Rohmer's historical drama film The Marquise of O (1976) and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for another period piece, Patrice Chéreau's Queen Margot (1994).